Type 095

The Type 095, also referred to as Type 09V in some reporting, is China's next-generation nuclear-powered attack submarine program. Open-source attention increased sharply in 2026 after satellite imagery showed what analysts assessed to be the first boat being outfitted at the Bohai Shipyard in Huludao. The class follows China's Type 091 and Type 093 nuclear attack submarines and is expected to improve quieting, sensors, propulsion, and long-range strike options. Because the program is secretive, most details remain estimates derived from imagery, U.S. naval intelligence testimony, and comparative analysis of Chinese submarine industrial capacity.

Imagery-based assessments describe a hull with features associated with modern submarine maneuverability and quieting, including a new stern arrangement. U.S. and allied analysts expect the Type 095 to be more capable than earlier Chinese SSNs in acoustic discretion, sensor performance, and missile employment. The most important uncertainty is how close the class comes to contemporary U.S. and Russian nuclear-attack-submarine standards. Even partial improvement would matter because an SSN with better quieting and strike capability can protect Chinese ballistic-missile submarines, trail adversary ships, and complicate allied operations beyond the first island chain.

A mature Type 095 force would strengthen the PLAN's ability to conduct blue-water undersea operations, escort high-value surface groups, and support anti-access strategies in the western Pacific. Its potential guided-missile capability also gives the class a strategic strike dimension beyond traditional torpedo attack roles. Operational impact will depend on production rate, reactor reliability, crew training, and acoustic performance. Even before full deployment, the program has become a major indicator of China's intent to close the undersea gap with the United States and its allies.